John walked out after washing up.

Oulos draped herself on the sofa like a swan spreading its wings, looking up at him upside down, speaking first.

"Don't blame me for not knocking. You were still in the operating room. If you hadn't come home, I'd have assumed you were dead."

"Whatever you say."

John picked up the coffee, took out the house authorization card from the drawer, and tossed it on the table in front of Oulos.

"Keep it if you like."

"Hmm~"

Oulos smiled wryly. "I thought you'd regained your confidence, but it seems you're still giving up on yourself?"

"Haha, sigh..."

John sat down with a bitter smile.

"Life doesn't let me off just because I've made up my mind. Even after giving it my all, the result is... even though I found Plato's experimental product, I only have four days to live."

"What's the next step?"

"Sell off everything, turn it into money, and buy the biggest bomb to take out the Internet Surveillance office with me."

John answered honestly.

Oulos looked at him with disdain and asked.

"Your brilliant idea is to turn yourself into a terrorist. Whose life are you exchanging for yours?"

"Anyone's. Those bastards at Internet Surveillance want me dead, so nobody should have it easy."

John's words were heavy but not hysterical, calmly laying out his plan as if reading a will to a lawyer.

Oulos shook her head.

"At most, you'll blow up some unlucky staff in the office area, and those guys are just struggling to make a living in the city, just like you. They might end up as minced meat due to bad luck, while those who harmed you remain unscathed."

"...It's unfair."

John was silent for a moment.

He frowned. "This city has screwed me over, and Internet Surveillance put a bomb in my head. I can't just let them off."

"You could seek cooperation from the state police."

"Dream on. That's worse than dying. Being a lab rat in an experimental room is better than..."

John grew more agitated as he spoke.

Oulos looked up at him.

Suddenly, John remembered her mechanical heart, realizing the term 'lab rat' might hurt her. He waved his hand dismissively, saying he couldn't possibly cooperate with those who harm him.

Oulos smirked mischievously.

"You're still very gentle, John... Don't worry. I wouldn't waste my time coming over here just to mock you."

She nodded toward the box beside her.

"Got any Graphene Chips left?"

"The last one."

"That's good."

Oulos seemed relieved. "If there weren't any left, I would've had to figure out how to crack open your head."

"You're eyeing a dead man's things?"

"John, I came to Eden City from Europe to save someone very important to me."

Oulos raised her wine glass to him.

John remained unmoved, holding his coffee. After pondering a moment, he retorted.

"Armored·Behemoth, right? That muscle-bound guy who was next to you the first time we met. Ever since he fought with Chuan, he hasn't appeared beside you again."

"Clever."

Oulos did not explain her relationship with Behemoth, only mentioning that the big oaf was very important to her.

Behemoth's situation was worse than John's.

It seemed the Eden City branch of Gaia Cells had a technology that could save him, so Oulos came from Europe, sparing no expense to infiltrate the company's circles to collect the necessary clues.

John realized.

"I thought he was your bodyguard. Eden told me Behemoth is a living legend in Europe, incredibly strong."

"Strength comes at a price."

Oulos mentioned that the recent fight with Chuan rapidly worsened Behemoth's condition. To extend his life, they needed to get a Plato Graphene Chip.

"Just like me, cyber psychosis?"

John continued to ask.

Oulos had no intention of explaining further, only asking for his price to buy the last chip in the box.

John shrugged.

He opened the sealed box and pushed it toward Oulos.

"I want to live, and oh, I don't want to collaborate with Internet Surveillance."

"That's quite a high price."

"I knew it, well, take it as a gift."

John shook his head with a bitter smile. "Eden said many are guessing why you came to Eden City, fearing you might cause big trouble... Don't worry. I'll be gone soon and won't spill the secret."

He got up with relief, heading to the tool room to check his weapons and equipment one more time.

Oulos raised her foot to close the box.

"Alright, then, deal. I'll give you a way to survive."

She laughed at John's surprised expression.

"I originally thought, without giving up on yourself, you could calm down and find a way. But... sigh, you're too green. Being born a street mercenary has limited your thinking."

"WTF?"

"You're not surviving, not because of your mindset, but simply because your brain isn't working right, my dear. I hinted at it for you..."

Oulos motioned John to sit down to analyze the situation for him.

The Black Ice Program used by Internet Surveillance is very advanced, so just find hackers who can understand this technology.

"F*ck, I'm not a middleman."

John thought it was some genius idea.

Oulos said it's not about connections, but thinking. "I also started from the streets. Networking is a resource. Never mind, I don't have time to lecture you."

She paused.

"Why do the state police want you dead? Because they suspect your connection with Serum. That means they fear Serum. Of course, you can't find her, but you know Gino, you know Tinfoil, you even looked up Bat. Haven't you spoken to them?"

Oulos directly exposed him.

Tinfoil and Eden are together, and John doesn't want to owe favors.

Gino and Bat are too immature, far from super hackers, so he hadn't considered them.

John was at a loss for words.

Oulos folded her arms, her towel loosely hanging.

"These people and Serum are members of the Wanderer Alliance. Serum is the strongest, but there are other geniuses. Just have Gino and Bat ask for help and find some who understand the Black Ice Program, right?"

She herself is a hacker and does middleman business, so she knows all this information quite well.

"...F*ck!"

John pounded the coffee table and stood up.

He held his head and paced the living room. He felt a tingling sensation all over, realizing a dying person really had found a chance to survive.

"I'll make a call!"

John's cyber eye flashed as he began scrolling through his contact list.

Oulos raised her hand to stop him.

"Forget it, you're too naive."

Contacting them now would probably be too late. Super hackers are usually eccentric, and even with a member of the Wanderer connecting you, it's hard to establish trust in a short time.

"In this situation, anyone promising to solve the Black Ice Program isn't necessarily committed to helping you."

Oulos spoke realistically.

"It's best if people seek you instead of you seeking them. Otherwise, what if they want to experiment with you, test the limits of the Black Ice Program, and fry your brain?"

"Then I'm not saved?"

"Use my resources. Consider it as payment for the Graphene Chip."

Oulos got up and undid her towel, her curves completely exposed.

Her cyber eye flickered, scanning John's face, noting various emotional values fluctuating, and she smiled playfully.

"You know quality goods when you see them."

Oulos teased.

She tossed the dress she wore into the trash can, took John's white shirt from the dryer, and wore his indoor slippers, before returning to take the suitcase on the table.

"Go to sleep. Wait for my call when you wake up tomorrow."

[Mission: Deserter]

[Reward: Payment, Special Algorithm [Unknown]]

A mission prompt popped up in front of John.

The iron bars retracted into the wall.

Oulos walked into the elevator, waving and smiling at him until the elevator doors closed.

With the iron door cutting off the view, John felt drained and collapsed onto the sofa, reaching for the wine bottle, hesitating several times without taking a sip.

The cyber eye flickered back into focus.

The darkness before dawn faded, and the city lights lit up the gray sky uncontrollably.

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